Jon Gruden is the reason why the Raiders aren’t going to the playoffs
Raiders #Raiders
This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.
The Los Angeles Chargers, as they have been known to do for pretty much their entire existence, did everything in their power to give the Las Vegas Raiders a win last night but Jon Gruden just wouldn’t let it happen.
And now the Raiders’ playoff hopes are all but over after their 30-27 overtime loss to Justin Herbert and Co.
The man to blame for this is Gruden and Gruden only. Not only did he wear the very wrong Raiders hat to start the game, but then in OT he called all the wrong plays in what appeared to be a very easy spot to win the game.
The Raiders won the toss in overtime and methodically marched the ball down the field. They had a first and goal from the 4 and had the Chargers’ defense tired and on their heels, thanks mostly to a scrambling Marcus Mariota who rushed for 88 yards after taking over for an injured Derek Carr.
Did the Raiders allow Mariota to spread out the defense and make plays with either his feet, if the defense allowed it, or his arm if they bit on the run? No, no they didn’t. Instead they ran two running plays up the middle and then had an incomplete on a third down play that broke down.
Instead of coming away with seven points and the win there, Gruden kicked the field goal and then let his horrible defense try to win the game for them.
That plan went as expected as Herbert chewed up the Raiders and plunged into the end zone from the 1 yard line just five players later.
And just like that the Raiders, who have lost four of their last five and only beat the Jets during that span because Gregg Williams was an idiot, were left wondering what the heck happened and how the heck they’re going to spend their free time in a few weeks.
Gruden, who is 18-28 in his three years with the Raiders, could have done so much more in that overtime. Instead, he made some really pathetic decisions near the goal line and now his team is going to miss the playoffs once again.
And the man they can blame is the man who ran out on the field last night with an Oakland Raiders hat on his head.
Quick hits: NFL Week 15 picks… Lakers’ new gem… Tiger Woods and his son have identical swings… And more. 
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
– Steven Ruiz and Charles Curtis are back with their NFL Week 15 picks against the spread. Can the Saints upset the Chiefs?
– Mike Sykes says Talen Horton-Tucker is the Lakers’ newest gem, but wonders if he’ll ever play.
– Tiger Woods and his son Charlie are playing in a tournament together this week and on Thursday they showed off their nearly identical swings.
– Charles Curtis has 9 fantasy basketball sleepers to target in your upcoming 2020 drafts.
MORE:
Marcus Mariota earned nearly an extra $1 million in loss to Chargers
NFL fans had lots of jokes about Jon Gruden wearing an Oakland Raiders hat on ‘TNF’
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Thursday Night Football live stream, TV channel, start time, odds, predictions
Seton Hall vs. Marquette live stream, NCAA college basketball, TV channel, start time, odds, predictions
#5 Kansas vs. #14 Texas Tech live stream, NCAA college basketball, TV channel, start time, odds, predictions